The present invention relates to an inventory control system wherein the local memory stores data representing the quantity of each of a plurality of commodities at a particular location with means coupled to the memory for entering data representing each addition or deletion of one of the commodities at the particular location and a transmitter coupled to the memory for continually broadcasting in serial form the stored data representing current inventory of each of the commodities. A hand held portable receiver receives the serially broadcast data and automatically and continually stores each of the commodity inventories represented by the serial data as,it,is received. display is included on the hand held receiver with means on the receiver coupled to the storage means and the display means for individually selecting stored data representing any one of the commodities and displaying it as available or unavailable.
The invention also relates to a wide area inventory control system comprising a plurality of local area systems forming the wide area system with each local area system having a computer with a memory for storing data signals representing the current inventory of each of a plurality of items on hand in that local area, a central computer having a memory with a storage area representing each local area for storing data representing current inventory of each item in each of the local areas and a high power transmitter coupled to each local area computer for broadcasting the current inventory data signals to the central computer for storage in the corresponding storage area. Each local area system includes means for transmitting a data request to the central computer for availability data on a selected item in other of the local areas and a high power transmitter is coupled to the central computer memory for transmitting the requested data to the requesting local area thereby advising the local area of the availability of the selected item from other local areas.
There is a great need in the present state of the art for an inventory control system which enables a rapid and accurate determination of the availability of the particular item or commodity in a particular situation. For instance, those looking for homes ordinarily obtain a realtor and give the realtor data on the type of home which they desire. The realtor then has a catalog or other documents available which lists homes in particular sections of the document according to the construction of the home. Thus those with swimming pools would be in one section, those with a particular number of bedrooms would be in another area, those in particular price ranges in another area, so forth. The realtor then reviews the sections of the catalog or other document attempting to find a home which would meet the requirements of the purchasers. It would be helpful for the realtor to have a local area computer having a memory in which the data concerning all homes available for sale was stored. It would be further helpful if the real estate agent had a portable hand held receiver into which he could enter through the keyboard, the data on the type of home his purchaser clients were seeking and have the address of that type of home appear on the display so that the realtor and his party could travel to the address to view the home. Such a system would require a local area transmitter coupled to the local area computer memory for continually transmitting the data on the various homes for sale in serial fashion. It would also require a keyboard input into the local area computer to add data on new homes for sale and delete data on homes that have been sold. Another use for such system would be in inventory control in retail system where the customer""s request for a particular item could be entered into the hand held receiver with a code number representing a particular item and a display on the receiver for indicating whether or not the item is in stock in the local area.
Another advantageous feature of the present invention is to expand the local area concept to a wide area concept. Suppose for instance a particular retail item was not available in the local area. The local area could send a data request to a central computer which would store inventory data for a plurality of local areas and thus be able to determine if any of the other local areas have the product or item desired by the first area. If in fact such item is available in another local area, the central computer could the send a response to the data request to the first area indicating in which other local area such product is available.
Thus the most desirable feature of the present invention is to provide a memory in a portable receiver in which all inventory items are stored for review by the user who simply enters a code for the particular item and its presence or absence is indicated on the display. This type of memory is made practical by bubble memories or dynamic-ram or static-ram semiconductor memories with static-ram having the most desirable characteristics. The receiver unit is made practical by the extremely low data transmission rate (enhanced low band width, low error rate, and low power consumption) which the proposed use of a local memory permits.
Thus the present invention relates to a data storage and retrieval system comprising a local memory for storing data representing the number of each of a plurality of commodities available at a particular location, means coupled to the memory for entering data in the memory representing any addition of one of the commodities to the location, means coupled to the memory for entering data representing each deletion of any of the commodities from the locations so as to maintain a continual current inventory of each of the commodities, a transmitter coupled to the memory for continually broadcasting in serial form the stored data representing current inventory of each of the commodities, a hand held portable receiver for receiving the serially broadcast data, means in the receiver for automatically and continually storing each of the commodity inventories represented by the serial data as it is received, a display on the hand held receiver and means on the hand held receiver coupled to the storage means and the display means for individually selecting stored data representing any one of the commodities and displaying it as available or unavailable.
The invention also relates to a wide area inventory control system comprising a plurality of local area systems forming the wide area system, each local area system having a computer with a memory for storing data signals representing the current inventory of each of a plurality of items on hand in the local area, means coupled to each local area computer for adding data signals to and deleting data signals from the memory inventory to maintain a current inventory of each of the items, a low power transmitter coupled to the local area computer for serially and continually broadcasting only in the local area the data signals representing the current inventory of each of the items, a hand held, portable receiver for receiving the serially broadcast low power data signals, means in the receiver for automatically and continually storing each inventory item represented by the serially transmitted data signals, a display on the hand held receiver and means on the hand held receiver coupled to the storage means and the display means for individually selecting stored data signals representing any one of the items and displaying a selected item as available or unavailable.